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2012 bmw 6-series Reviews and News

2012 BMW 6-Series

By
Automobile Magazine
- 11/01/2011

Like many recent BMWs, the 6-series emerged from its redesign considerably more handsome than before. The overall look didn't change greatly, but the details make all the difference -- the surface treatment of the body panels, the shape of the light clusters, the angle of the grille. The 6-series comes as a coupe and a convertible with a soft top that carries over a unique element from the previous car. The rear edges of the top extend rearward, framing a vertical rear window that is power operated and can be raised or lowered independently of the roof -- raised when the top is down to act as a wind blocker or lowered when the top is up for ventilation. The 6-series is based on the same platform as the 5- and 7-series sedans, and it offers the same plethora of luxury equipment found on those cars. Like them, the 6-series can be had with all-wheel drive, which is unusual for a coupe/convertible. The 6 also offers a manual transmission (in the 650i), a choice that's increasingly rare in this class. Do not, however, conclude that the availability of a stick shift means the 6-series is a highly involving sports car. It is not. Granted, its performance is impressive -- even the 640i can race from 0 to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, and the all-wheel-drive V-8 version can do it in as little as 4.7 seconds. But the 6-series is suffused with electronics -- adaptive suspension and available Active Steering, to name but two -- that make for an artificially enhanced driving experience. Rather than a full-on performance coupe, the 6-series is more of a luxury machine, albeit a very fast one.

What’s the fastest three-wheeler on ice? If you guessed a Morgan 3 Wheeler, you're correct. The first of the new Morgan 3 Wheelers was delivered to Swedish dealer Classics & Sportscarcentre and taken to its limits at Orsa Lake last month.

Recalls are being issued for a number of vehicles including the new Toyota Prius V, 2012 Toyota Tacoma, and Cam-Am Spyder as well as various BMWs and Rolls-Royce models using V-8 and V-12 engines.

2012 Toyota Prius V

The Problem: Weakened actuators in the Prius V's exhaust-heat recovery system can cause engine coolants in the Prius V to leak, causing the hybrid's warning light to turn, making the car run in safe mode.

Without question, the redesigned 6-series is better looking than its predecessor. The biggest improvement can be seen from behind, where the squaring-off of its previously rounded rump has done wonders for the vehicle's side profile and overall proportions. The cloth top's unique C-pillars -- which extend another foot or so past the rear window -- are a carryover from the last 6-series but, being such an interesting design element, it was a good decision for BMW to hold onto them. And from inside the cabin, these "flying buttresses" have a secondary functional benefit that makes the 6-series easier to live with: in moving the rear window from its steeply raked position into a vertical position, closer to the driver, BMW has made the 6-series' rearward view a bit better than the average sporty, four-seat convertible. It also made it possible to have a functional rear window that can be lowered independently of the convertible top.

2012 BMW 650i xDrive Convertible

With all the enthusiasm surrounding the new M6 coupe’s debut at next week’s Geneva Motor Show, the spotlight has temporarily been taken off the other M6 in the works, the M6 Gran Coupe. Just to remind us it’s still here, the car smiled for Motor Trend’s spy cameras as it conducted winter tests snowy Sweden.

The car looks about the same as the last time we saw it, with camo still covering many of the car’s major design cues. Much like the M6 coupe that broke on the web early last month, this car features a similar front end, with extra-wide openings in the front valance. Many of the car’s exterior features will likely be shared with the standard 6 Series Gran Coupe, but a quad-tipped exhaust system and large, drilled brake rotors will easily identify this Gran Coupe as the performance model.

The M6 Gran Coupe is pretty much assured to get the twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 of the M5 and M6. That powerplant makes 560 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque in those cars, but rumors are stirring that the M6 Gran Coupe will get an additional 20 hp. That would bring total output to a segment-busting 580 hp. As for how that power will get to the wheels, BMW will likely employ its latest seven-speed dual-clutch transmission in the M6 Gran Coupe.

With this car, BMW is taking aim at the other high-performance four-door coupes in the class, which include the Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG and Audi S7. That battle will have to wait though, as the M6 Gran Coupe likely won’t arrive on the scene for at least a year.

THIS COULD LEAD TO A SMOLDERING OF THE PUMP OR AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT OR VEHICLE FIRE.

Remedy

BMW WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AUXILIARY WATER PUMP FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 30, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BMW CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND SERVICES AT 1-800-525-7417.